How will you find your next hire?
By Andy Fiffick, Chairman and CEO MACS Worldwide
There it was on the home page of the local paper in Lansdale, Pa., the city where the MACS office is located. It was up above the newspaper masthead and the news coverage—an ad for a heavy duty truck technician. Wow! Impressive! That shop really wants to find a new tech fast!
Seeing that employment ad for a service and repair technician displayed in such a eye-catching way made me want to ask you: how will you find your next hire? Are you putting your “help wanted” ad in the right place to attract the right talent?
Currently, I use Craig’s List, plus classified ads in local papers and on employment websites with good success. Additionally, networking with your tool truck drivers can be a great source of knowledge as they visit all the shops and know who may be looking for a job. Often, they may be the first to hear of a technician’s intention to move on. Even other shop owners in your community can be a good source for locating new employees, or, unfortunately (sometimes) eliminating the undesirable ones.
Once you’ve found good candidates for your opening, be prepared to ask them the right questions during an interview to make sure they can do the job and that they’ll be a good fit in your shop. Pay attention to the “fit” part too. A talented worker may still be the wrong fit for a particular shop or customer base, particularly if you’re filling a front-desk position.
Here are some of the questions I ask potential employees:
• Are you ASE certified?
If so, how many ASE certifications do you hold?
• Are you presently employed?
• How long have you been at your current job?
Why are you leaving that position?
• How long were you at your last job?
• What type of work are you best at, and what type of work is toughest for you?
How do you deal with problem cars?
• How much money do you have invested in your tools?
What was your annual gross salary for the last three years?
What are your expectations for the next three years?
Naturally, you have to be prepared to answer the questions of your potential employee openly and honestly so that there will be no misunderstandings once the time clock is punched. Ask them what they expect from you if they are hired. This conversation establishes an even-handed relationship from the start.
You’d also be wise to advise your applicant that you plan to check references or make some calls to previous employers. A previous employer may not tell you much, but even a discussion of the type of work the applicant did can be helpful.
If you have some tips on hiring great technician talent e-mail me at andyfiffick@gmail.co
When having your mobile A/C system professionally serviced, insist on proper repair procedures and quality replacement parts. Insist on recovery and recycling so that refrigerant can be reused and not released into the atmosphere.
If you’re a service professional and not a MACS member yet, you should be, click here for more information.
You can E-mail us at macsworldwide@macsw.org or visit http://bit.ly/cf7az8 to find a Mobile Air Conditioning Society member repair shop in your area. Visit http://bit.ly/9FxwTh to find out more about your car’s mobile A/C and engine cooling system.
The 32nd annual Mobile Air Conditioning Society (MACS) Worldwide Convention and Trade Show will take place January 18-20, 2012 at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV.
